Peron To Return In Sapphire Stakes

Talented mare Peron is set to make her return to the races at Royal Randwick on Saturday after being included in the nominations for the 2014 Sapphire Stakes.

Peron has not been seen at the races since she finished seventh in the Tristarc Stakes during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Peron was included in the acceptances for the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) and would have received a run in the race, after originally being named as an emergency, but connections opted not to run the daughter of Husson on the heavy Royal Randwick track.

The Patinack Farm-owned galloper stamped herself as a horse to watch with three straight wins during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, including a victory in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic (1350m) at Ipswich, and was far from disgraced in three starts during the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.

Peron began her spring campaign with an unlucky second place finish behind Driefontein in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 14 and looked as though she had the race run before being run down by Fire Up Fifi in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1410m) at Flemington on October 5.

The four-year-old was well-backed in the lead-up to the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 19, but struggled with heat stress during the run and was sent to the spelling paddock after recovering from the run poorly.

Peron is set to face a tough field in the 2014 Sapphire Stakes; with a number of talented fillies and mares, included in the nominations for the Group 1 event.

Sweet Idea stamped herself as one of the best fillies in Australia with a strong win in the Group 2 Light Finger Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 22 and could have the chance to record another win at Group level in the Sapphire Stakes on Saturday.

Another mare that will be dropping back to Group 2 company is Chris Waller-trained Dystopia, who has not been seen at the races since she finished sixth behind Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on February 22.

The Redoute’s Choice mare performed well in a barrier trial behind Zaratone and Rebel Dane at Rosehill Gardens on March 31 and has the chance to give Waller his second straight win in the Sapphire Stakes after he took out the 2013 edition of the race with Arinosa.

Other talented gallopers that were included in the 2014 Sapphire Stakes are Darley mare Aerobatics, last start winner Avoid Lightning and Kris Lees-trained Thump.

Author: Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.